Guards in the fifteenth century reported that they saw the shadows of two small figures gliding down the stairs. By Paul Delaroche, Public DomainĪccording to legend, the Bloody Tower is haunted by the ghosts of these two princes. Westminster Abbey has refused a second exhumation. Tests indicated that they belonged to children of the same age as the princes had been, although, due to the time period, no modern carbon dating or DNA analysis was carried out. In 1933, permission was given for an exhumation of the bones. The bones were believed to be those of the two princes, and were buried in Westminster Abbey. Beneath this staircase, they discovered the bones of two children. In 1674, workmen were demolishing a staircase that lead to the chapel in the White Tower. There are many theories about what happened to the boys, and it’s generally assumed that they were murdered, but there is no evidence either way. However, their uncle took the throne for himself as Richard III, and the boys vanished from public sight. When their father, King Edward IV died, the two boys – aged just 12- and 9-years-old respectively – were sent to live in the Tower of London with their uncle, who was supposed to be caring for them. Two young brothers, Edward V and Richard Duke of York, disappeared in 1483.
Its original name was the Garden Tower, but it didn’t take long before it became more famous for its disturbing history than the Constable’s Garden it overlooks. The Bloody Tower was an addition to the main castle in the early 1220s, during the reign of King Henry III. One of the current ravens, Merlina, is known to fly as far as the wharf on the River Thames, but she always returns, thanks to her bond with her carer. A minimum number of six ravens are now kept at the Tower, cared for by the Ravenmaster, Chris Skaife, who has a close bond with each of the birds. Today, the ravens have their wings clipped in a way that allows them to fly, but prevents them from travelling far enough to leave. © Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Soon after, the decolonisation of the British Empire (as it was then) began, leading some to take this as confirmation of the legend. The incident was reported in British newspapers, and the stories contained references to the legend of Britain’s potential fall.
Only two survived – Mabel and Grip – but when Mabel flew away, Grip was left despondent. Stories say that during the execution of Lady Jane Grey in 1554 they pecked the eyes out of her severed head.ĭuring the Second World War, many of the ravens living in the tower were killed during bombing raids. The name of the Welsh god Bran the Blessed translates to ‘raven’ – his head is believed to be buried in the White Hill of London as a talisman against invasion.Īllegedly, at the execution of Anne Boleyn in 1536, “even the ravens of the Tower sat silent and immovable on the battlements and gazed eerily at the strange scene”. Irish mythology associates ravens with warfare and the goddess Morrigan who transformed into the form of a raven.
TOWER OF LONDON HAUNTED HOW TO
In the Qur’an, the story of Cain and Abel includes mention of a raven as the creature who taught Cain how to bury his murdered brother. They are believed, by some, to represent a symbol of vice (as opposed to the dove as a symbol of virtue). Ravens are referenced in mythology across the world, including stories in Greek mythology where they were said to be a symbol of bad luck, and in the Hebrew Bible, where they are the first species of bird to be mentioned. “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.” One of the most famous stories about the Tower of London concerns the ravens that live within the walls. From the ghosts that are said to haunt its walls, to the ravens protecting both the castle and the city itself, there are many stories and superstitions surrounding the Tower of London. But there is more to the tower than just a tourist attraction. In 1078, William the Conqueror built a white tower on the north bank of the River Thames that would become the most prominent part of the Tower of London.
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